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Fremont playing for title tie and CCS berth

By Mike Barnhart, for Silicon Valley Community Newspapers

Posted:
11/08/2012 08:03:45 PM PST

Updated:
11/08/2012 08:03:46 PM PST

Two weeks after rewriting the Central Coast Section record book by scoring 90 points in a game, Fremont's football team can earn a share of the league championship and its first CCS playoff berth since 1996 by beating first-place Gunn on Nov. 9.

The Firebirds, still flying high after their record-setting, 90-56 triumph over Harker, walloped winless Los Altos 47-0 last Friday night, setting up tonight's 7:30 p.m. battle with the visiting Titans (5-0, 7-2) at Diesner Field.

Gunn, which enters the game atop the standings in the El Camino Division Santa Clara Valley Athletic League after knocking off former co-leader Monta Vista 28-27 last week, will complete an unbeaten run to the division title if it can beat Fremont (4-1, 7-2) and its trio of playmakers: juniors Keenan Smith and Ricky Teo and senior Joe De Los Santos.

But a win by the Firebirds, which would be their fifth in a row since a loss to Monta Vista on Sept. 28, would force a tie for first place. And this time, unlike 2008 and 2009, when Fremont earned co-championships but did not get into the CCS playoffs, the Firebirds would be the El Camino Division's automatic qualifier into the 40-team post-season show.

Monta Vista (4-1, 6-3) would get a share of the division title, too, by winning the Helmet Game at Cupertino (3-2, 7-2). However, the Matadors' best shot at reaching the playoffs would come with a Gunn win. That would make the Matadors the El Camino's second best team. But even then, with five or six De Anza Division teams likely to be selected, the SCVAL will be hard-pressed to get a second El Camino squad into the playoff line-up.

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Cupertino, which had two weeks to prepare for the Matadors following its 33-6 setback at Gunn on Oct. 26, can reach the eight-win mark for the first since the 2002 team went 9-3, including a victory in the Division IV playoffs.

Heartbreaking loss

The Matadors' playoff hopes took a big hit last Friday night when the left side of the Gunn defense stopped senior running back Peter Stern short of the goal line on a two-point conversion try with 1:19 left in the game.

Moments earlier, Stern and quarterback Nathan Facciolla connected for a 31-yard touchdown pass that brought the Matadors to within one point and a huge decision. They elected to go for two points and the win, instead of calling on junior kicker Will Major to try for his fourth extra point of the game and take a chance on an overtime tiebreaker.

Gunn recovered the Matadors' onside kick, but could not run out the clock. Monta Vista used its three timeouts to prolong the game and strong defense to drop powerful Gunn running back Sean Lydster for a short loss on fourth-and-inches and earn one more possession.

Starting at its 43-yard line with 44 seconds to go, the Matadors were sacked for a 7-yard loss, but picked up a first down two plays later when Facciolla scrambled for 18 yards to Gunn's 46. Two incomplete passes later, Gunn chased Facciolla out of bounds near midfield, ending the drama.

Both defenses were challenged all evening, Gunn trying to stop the Matadors' Navy triple option and Monta Vista trying to take down Lydster, a 6-foot, 195-pound junior who carried the ball 32 times for 239 yards and all four of his team's touchdowns.

Facciolla, who kept the ball 23 times for 90 yards, opened the scoring with a 12-yard run five minutes into the first quarter. Lydster answered for the Titans three minutes later, scoring on a 13-yard romp, and added TD runs of 27 and 6 yards to put the Titans in front 21-7 early in the third quarter.

Junior Justin Cena helped pull the Matadors even at 21 with TD runs of 6 and 36 yards, the latter coming with just 23 seconds to go in the third. Gunn went back in front 28-21 as Lydster reached the end zone from 14 yards out with 9:28 left in the game.

Keeping the ball on the ground for the entire contest, the Mats ran 28 times for 301 yards and led 35-0 at halftime.

Junior Ryan Manley raced 35 yards for the Mats' first score and totaled 57 yards on five runs. Stern was the leading ball carrier, gaining 123 yards on nine tries, including an 83-yard touchdown. Facciolla ran for touchdowns of 5 and 10 yards and junior Won Lee capped the scoring with a 9-yarder. Major kicked three extra points and Facciolla ran for a two-point conversion.

Seniors Liam Silvius and Jaipal Matoo and junior Cole Erickson made six tackles each for the Matadors.

Firebirds set record

Fremont gave up 50 points in the first half to Harker on Oct. 26, yet won. That's because the Firebirds tallied 49 of their own in the first two quarters, before outscoring the Eagles 41-6 in the second half.

The 90 points topped the previous CCS record of 82 established by Evergreen Valley in 2005 and tied by Leland in 2008. The previous high score by a Fremont team came in a 54-28 victory over Gunn in 2006.

Fremont's 13 touchdowns included seven by Smith, four by De Los Santos and one each by junior Onosai Sataua and sophomore Sam Kanongata. Teo delivered four touchdown passes, two to Smith and one each to De Los Santos and Kanongata. The 6-foot-3 QB also ran for a pair of two-point conversions and passed to Kanongata for another deuce. Junior Francis O'Keefe kicked six extra points.

Smith, who also scored seven TDs against Lynbrook earlier in the season, had a remarkable game against Harker. The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder gained 389 yards on 19 carries, including touchdown dashes of 48, 65, 52, 27 and 65 yards. His two TD catches covered 46 and 45 yards.

De Los Santos ran the ball seven times for 94 yards, with scoring runs of 19 and 43. He also caught a 6-yard TD pass from Teo and returned a kick 83 yards for another score.

Harker was pass-happy all night, as senior quarterback Spenser Quash put the ball in flight 46 times, completing 27 for 396 yards and five touchdowns. Senior receiver Robert Deng caught 10 balls for 106 yards and two touchdowns. Junior Kevin Moss had seven catches, two for scores, and senior Christian Williams also snagged a scoring pass. Quash also ran the ball 21 times for 90 yards and three touchdowns.

Senior defensive back Jordan Hazard (11 tackles) and De Los Santos (six) paced the Fremont defense. Senior Sione Kanongata blasted through the Harker line to make two sacks and Sataua and sophomore Kahileigh Creamer recovered Eagles fumbles.

Fremont stayed hot and in the title hunt with the 47-0 win over Los Altos.

Smith again led the way with four more scores, increasing his season TD total to 28. He put the Firebirds ahead immediately, racing 95 yards with the opening kickoff. He scored on runs of 5 and 3 yards, as well as taking a punt 65 yards to the house in the third quarter.

Vikings earn win

A big second half carried Lynbrook to its first division win, 49-35 at Harker on Nov. 2.

Quarterback Gabe Wagner-Rosales ran for touchdowns of 22 and 2 yards in the first half, but the Vikings trailed 20-14 at the intermission.

In the second half, senior fullback Kyle Williams powered into the end zone four times for the Vikings (1-4, 3-6). Williams' scoring runs of 1 and 3 yards helped put Lynbrook ahead 28-27 after three quarters. His runs of 1 and 6 along with a 1-yard blast by senior Tim Wallis stretched the lead in the final period.

Paced by Eric Day's 158 yards and Wallis' 105, Lynbrook ran for more than 400 yards against Harker, which ended its season 1-5 within the division and 3-7 overall.

Lynbrook will close out its season with senior night against Los Altos on Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Mustangs fade again

Homestead had the lead at halftime against a De Anza Division opponent for the second straight week, but once again could not hang on in the second half.

The Mustangs led visiting Wilcox 22-21 at the intermission last Friday night, but did not score again and lost 40-22. The Chargers jumped in front early as Delshawn Mitchell ran for two of his five touchdowns in the first quarter, but Homestead battled back on the strength of two Mark Hirschbek touchdown passes, a safety and a 38-yard run by Yongsuk Kim.

Homestead fell to 1-5 in the division and 3-6 overall, while Wilcox improved to 4-2 and 6-3.

A week earlier, Homestead built a 35-14 lead in the first half at Mountain View, but the Spartans held the Mustangs to just six points the rest of the way and rallied for their first win in league play, 50-41.

Homestead's touchdowns included a 90-yard kick return by Mateo Manjarrez and a 60-yard interception return by fellow junior Derek Rositas.

The Mustangs wrap up their season Friday, 7:30 p.m., at Milpitas (4-2, 6-3), which was surprised by Saratoga last week.